Before a flight crew commences any type of instrument procedure, including departures, arrivals, and approaches, the pilot or flight crew (depending upon whether it is a single or multiple pilot aircraft) performs a review to confirm that the approach presently loaded in the flight management system (FMS) (e.g., the FMS data) complies with the published instrument procedure chart (e.g., the charted data). This review is relatively important for several reasons. For example, though highly unlikely, such a review can reveal potential database errors, old database installations, off-cycle chart updates, crew loading errors, disconnects between the visual approach plate and the FMS plan-to-fly, and communication errors between Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the flight crew.
Currently, in a single pilot aircraft, a confirmation review between the FMS data and charted data is conducted by the pilot looking down at the published instrument procedure chart, finding applicable information, looking up, searching, locating, and finding the equivalent FMS data, looking down, confirming values, maintaining his/her place, looking up, maintaining his/her place, and confirming values. This cross-check confirmation occurs for each waypoint in the instrument procedure, and for each constraint (e.g., vertical constraints, speed limits) associated with each waypoint.
In a multi-pilot environment, a confirmation review is conducted by dividing responsibilities across crewmembers. For example, in an airline environment, one crewmember is assigned the FMS, while the other is assigned the published instrument procedure chart. Verbal coordination between crewmembers is used to keep place, advance to the next waypoint, read constraints, and confirm constraints.
In both the single pilot and multi-pilot environments, there exists the potential for miscommunication, placekeeping error, misreading, human memory lapses, task interruptions, and various other sources of potential human error.
Hence, there is a need for a system and method for providing instrument procedure placekeeping that can at least significantly reduce the likelihood of miscommunications, placekeeping errors, human memory lapses, task interruptions, and various other sources of potential error. The present invention addresses at least this need.